Our standard open thread routine: talk about anything you like — the perfume you’re wearing today, the last perfume you added to your buy list, whatever.
Or, ask a question about fragrance, then see if anyone else has asked a question that you can answer…
Note: top image is Holga-Flower [cropped] by peasap at flickr; some rights reserved.
Sonoma Scent Studio is just great. High-quality perfumes, and for the price she’s practically giving them away! I am waiting for my bottle of To Dream to arrive in the mail. Maybe today?
Elizabeth, I completely agree! Even the scents I don’t adore, I appreciate that they are well-made. What I really enjoy about them are their weight–they have depth and presence. And they are complete scents, with plenty complexity.
To Dream is LOVELY! I ended up with Lieu de Reves, which I feel is the lighter kissing-cousin of TD, but can’t say I’ll never get TD, too!
Seconded on the idea that even if the SSS scent isn’t my thing, I appreciate it. My husband wears Fireside Intense and the opening notes make me cringe (she captures an acrid campfire too well for my tastes!) but the cedary dry down is brilliant. So we compromise if we’re going out – he can wear it, but he has to spray it at least 30 minutes before getting in the car with me.
I’m in love with Jour Ensoleille! Tabac Aurea and Winter Woods are gorgeous too. I think I’ll buy some SSS in the future. If not really fast I’ll discover more scents in the line definitely.
Oh, Jour Ensoleille is divine. Spritzable happiness.
I tried SSS Winter Woods recently and I love it — just right for nesting these past two weeks being surrounded by the aftermath of Sandy. We were very fortunate to have only lost power overnight but the devastation to transportation infrastructure in and out of NYC was very severe and they are just slowly coming back.
Elizabeth,
I agree with you about SSS- I have found 3 loves that I think will be with me a long time. I also love the variety of sizes available and of course, the prices are fantastic!
Agree, the prices are more than reasonable.
I just received new bottles of Taba Aurea and Fireside and I’m very pleased. I’m also enjoying samples of Fig Tree and Incense Pure. I’ve been looking for an incense fragrance. the other day I broke my treasured little vial of heeley cardinal all through my other samples. Maybe Incense Pure will fit the bill, and at a better price and a smaller bottle. I don’t know if I want a whole collection full of Sonoma Scent Studio creations but I can see how it could happen!
Incense Pure is on my to-buy list. Bummer about your Cardinal — I’ve been enjoying a sample of that myself.
I like Incense Pure, too. It made the stink of Florabotanica go away.
Lieu de Rieves was the winner for me. Fireside Intense smelled like an electrical short on my skin! I still need to try Nostalgia and Forest Walk though…
I agree that there is something wonderful about the base notes of her fragrance – they make other frags smell thin and watery in comparison.
Did To Dream arrive? I’m hoping someone will give me some details. Laurie is so hard to read she says she doesn’t think I would like it. But it’s calling my name.
SOTD Roadster by Cartier. Waiting for some bottles to arrive and listening to some new songs.
Sounds like a nice day!
Yeah! Music and perfumes feed the soul! 🙂
No scent for me yet this morning, but I’m wishing that my bottle of Traversee du Bosphore weren’t in a box already. I’ve had it on my mind for a few days, and I think it would sparkle in this crisp weather that’s just hit us!
But, it has me thinking–do I crave scents like I can crave chocolate or a favorite childhood meal? It feels very similar–like, if I don’t spray myself with that scent, or sniff it from a bottle, the thought of it will linger. Anyone else have this experience? Is it with specific scents only, or whatever scent-memory happens to be putting a “noseworm” in your mind?
“Noseworm”! Brilliant word! You are so right; I get definite cravings for fragrance and it’s a bit like a sudden yearning for a foodstuff, when only a bite of chocolate, or whatever you are fancying, will satisfy you.
I can get a noseworm for any perfume at all, even ones I don’t like! I suppose my brain is nudged into a chain of desire by a random smell, mood, memory or visual stimulus which suddenlly triggers the thought of a specific perfume, and then I just have to smell it. The craving won’t end until I have done so. It’s hard when I don’t happen to own that particular one. It’s even worse if it has been something that was discontinued years ago; this had led to long searches on eBay in the hopes of getting my hands on my craved-for scent.
By the way, I keep burning little Traversee candles and have become addicted to their fragrance. I will have to try the actual perfume now.
Interesting what you say about craving scents you don’t even like! I wonder what that’s about? Maybe a note that you really want to smell again, even if the composition isn’t right?
I really enjoy my bottle of TdB. I bet the candles are lovely, too, though!
Do do try Traversee du Bosphere. It’s so different through the stages of perfume. When you smell the first scent from the bottle it’s thrilling then the rapturous dry down. It’s totally styrax and box and a bit of sand for me. I was at first not happy with it. But have grown to love this. Who was the PERFUMIST for this one?
Noseworm! Sounds like a Wrath of Khan sort of thing.
I thought it was evocative! (Although I guess it could sound sort of gross, too!)
No it is evocative! I forgot how gross that Khanworm scene is, but noseworms are probably very pretty, cute even. Cute but insipid.
I get more of a craving for things I haven’t gotten to smell yet but have heard about and imagined rather than for something I own.
Rofl. I need both: chocolate and perfumes. If I go out without perfume, I feel naked. I used to have to eat chocolate everyday before lunch or my hunger came faster. Now I just have to eat chocolate everyday in any time of it. My busy college days made me change some habits. But a bottle of perfume was always with me!
Moore, do you carry it with you? I find that as long as I remembered to spray myself in the morning, I feel ok. But if I somehow flake out and go out without a scent on, I feel like I’ve forgotten my shoes or something else critical!
I enjoy chocolate, but my food cravings are far more varied and seemingly random than that. Like, last week I *needed* tacos for dinner. I knew that nothing else would hit the spot quite the same way. This week, it was spicy green bean stir fry. And this does seem to be the way of my scent cravings, too–without seeming rhyme or reason, I really want to wear/sniff a scent for a while, and then it goes out of favor for a while when I switch to something else.
Marjorie, yes, I carry them with me. Now I bought some decant bottles and learned an interesting way to fill up these bottles. I’ll start to do that. LOL, you feel like me. There was a time that I forgot my perfume at home, was in the middle of my way to college and came back to take my fragrance.
I’m lucky my extravagances with salty food are more controlled, despite I like too much to cook. I’m a real crazy about sweets. They drive me crazy! In all kinds. Chocolate is my healthy nicotine.
But my perfume cravings are like yours. I have an inexhaustible need to smell something new; sometimes I get bored even to search (it’s not so easy to find many many fragrances on here); a boredom that passes as I have the chance to smell something interesting.
Moore, do you carry it with you? I find that as long as I remembered to spray myself in the morning, I feel ok. But if I somehow flake out and go out without a scent on, I feel like I’ve forgotten my shoes or something else critical!
I enjoy chocolate, but my food cravings are far more varied and seemingly random than that. Like, last week I *needed* tacos for dinner. I knew that nothing else would hit the spot quite the same way. This week, it was spicy green bean stir fry. And this does seem to be the way of my scent cravings, too–without seeming rhyme or reason, I really want to wear/sniff a scent for a while, and then it goes out of favor for a while when I switch to something else.
Oops. I used your reply to guide mine and forgot to erase it. Sorry.
Sometimes I get a general craving for perfumes to smell. And quite often I want NEW ones to smell – so nothing in my collection, and none of the samples I already have (I’v tried them all) can satiate it. I just need to go to a perfume shop – even a department store – and spritz four or five things. I don’t always get a very accurate sense of them all but I need to try them all anyway.
Sometimes I get an intense craving for a perfume I am interested in buying – but I try to not let that persuade me to buy straight away: unless its fairly inexpensive…
Oh, I know well the *need* to sniff something new! It can be quite a compulsion. In those moments, everything I own or have already sampled is too familiar, and I need that stimulation of a novel experience.
Who’s buying perfume with the Sephora VIB 20% off code this weekend?? I might get the 1 oz Prada Candy, or maybe the Atelier Cologne Collection Voyage.
Ari, the 1 oz. Prada Candy is $60, $48 after your 20% off. The new fragrance sampler for her is $50, $40 after the discount, and includes a voucher that can be redeemed in-store for the 1 oz. Candy. You will save $8 and get 12 samples plus a makeup pouch. Also, if you decide to order online it will ship for free because Sephora uses the pre-discount price to determine their “free shipping on orders over $50.”
Even without a discount, anyone can save $ on this one by getting the sampler first then redeeming the voucher for the 1 oz. bottle. 🙂
Lucy, I admire your bargain hunting ability. I may have to do some creative shopping now.
The only thing I hate about those discount codes is that then you can’t use a different code to get a deluxe sample on the same order. I love those deluxe samples.
The code is CELEBRATE in case no one had posted it yet. I was hoping to get L’Artisan Parfemeur but their selection is very limited…but I have all weekend including Monday to peruse the site!
Thank you!
I just tried Celebrate but it didn’t work. Is it only for certain items? I was trying to buy l’ambre des mervailles..
Never mind, I just read that in order to retain VIB status you must spend $350.00 in a calendar year. I haven’t done that. Great discount for all the Sephorites who do though!
I bought L’ambre des Merveilles with the 20% off with Friends and Family a couple of weeks ago. Too bad Sephora doesnt carry a wider range of fragrance houses =(
I’m considering getting Guerlain AA Pamplelune. There seems to be a grapefruit-shaped hole in my perfume collection. But I could go for Ambre des Merveilles if it’s instant love.
AA Pamplelune is a real gem, especially for the US Sephora. I wish we had the same selection as EuroSephora.
I have a great affection for AA Pamplelune and can’t wait to wear it this winter. It is a dirty/earthy grapefruit though. If you like a sparkling grapefruit, check out Hermes Pamplemousse Rose while you are there.
Today, I’m in Une Voix Noire.
After months of trying different leather/tobacco scents, I’ve purchased Boxeuses from SL. It’s different enough from other classic leather/tobacco scents and to me, it is not Daim Blond 2, which many claim it is. I’m just not keen on the apricot note in DB, so Boxeuses is perfect for me. I’ve also ordered Un Lys at the same time to take advantage of the free shipping offer. So, I’m content 🙂
Congrats on your double Lutens purchase
Thank you, Lucas.
Lys, I’m with you on that. I also don’t get how some people are so easily influenced by others’ opinion of a fragrance that it clouds their feelings about it. I suppose it’s hard not to make comparisons, but I do think you have to go with your gut feelings, as with everything else in life.
hajusuuri; I do hope you get to sample them soon and let us know what you think.
Emily; I am pleased that you’re warming up to gardenias. UVN is not a typical gardenia or a soliflore. It is a lot more complex and interesting and it isn’t an “in your face” gardenia… it is a soft “singing” gardenia.
Now your Voix Noire has some buddies. XD
I’m surprised people see Boxeuses as a riff on Daim Blonde. Like you I can’t see much of a direct link between Boxeuses and DB other than the suede connection. Boxeuses seems most like Feminite du Bois.
I got a sample of Un Lys from Barneys but have not tried it yet. I have to obtain one of Boxeuses and Un Voix Noire…looks like a trip to Barneys is in the horizon 🙂
Dying to try Une Voix Noire, especially since it seems to be in heavy rotation as your SOTD. I’ve been warming up to gardenia lately, and this one seems especially intriguing.
For anyone who hasn’t heard, Swapmania is coming up next weekend on Perfume Posse.
I’ll see you there next week 50_roses! My swaplist is almost ready. It grew really big!
Excellent! I think we will do another in the spring.
Just added to my ROSE+OUD collection with
Jo Malone Velvet Rose & Oud Intense Collection…CAN’T WAIT!!!
Also, I have from the same line/collection, Dak Amber & Ginger Lily from the Kodo Wood Intense Collection…LOVE IT!!! as well.
A very good, high quality brand!
Wich are the others? I love this combo: rose + oud!
1. Trish McEvoy – Black Rose Oud
2. Estee Lauder – Wood Mystique
3. Juilliette Has A Gun – Midnight Oud
4. Ferrari – Essence Oud
To name a few…LOL!
No Rose Oud?
I find Midnight Oud too much synthetic. I have to search for this Ferrari.
All of these fragrances have Rose+Oud included in the fragrance notes…
These may have been around for a while but Montale has a series of roses & oud combinations. The best among them are probably Black Oud, Aoud Roses Petales, and Aoud Queen Roses.
The general J.M. collection is too light for me, but I like the intense range very much. Unfortunately they’r quite pricey so I haven’t yet invested in any. I like Patchouli and White Musk as well as the two ouds, Bergamot and Oud and Velvet Rose and Oud. What do you think of the Bergamot and Oud?
I’m not wearing anything at the moment, I’m coloring my hair this morning. Once it’s colored, though, I’m going to be putting on my SB Incensed oil. Last winter I bought the roll-ons of a few scents so that I can have a few things to keep in my purse.
I have abandoned to buy/to try lists. My health insurance has gone up just when food prices went up, and so…no money for perfume. I haven’t bought anything since spring, if I bought anything then, even. I can’t tell anymore, it’s been 80 degrees for 9 months, and I’ve kind of lost track of what’s happened when. I need the seasons back!
Yikes! Real life intrudes in unwanted ways. I know what you mean, though; I’ve been “living” off samples and stuff that I blend at home. Here in the Midwest we are about 12 inches behind on rain and the high temp is supposed to be 75 today.
Yep, I’m in Des Moines. At least it’s supposed to be back to normal-ish weather by Monday, right?
I’m in Lawrence, KS and the forecast is for rain and 45 degrees tomorrow. It would be OK with me if the rain would go on for several days. The warmer temps are kind of nice in the winter months, but not if the payback is 20-30 days of 100+ in the summer!
Not me, I love my winters! I won’t say the colder the better, but better than 80 degrees since March!
I mentioned above that Perfume Posse is having Swapmania next weekend. I should also add that Patty has said she is going to be putting some things up for grabs–first to respond gets it, no swap required. If you want to send her something (not perfume) in return, you can. Others are going to be doing the same thing, and I myself have a list of samples, decants, and bottles to give away. If you would like to contact me now (click on my screen name above), you can find my email, and I can let you know what freebies I have available.
Wow, thanks for the heads up and the offer, 50! I’ll e-mail you Monday, all I’ve got for internet here at home is the phone, and I can never manage to get the e-mail to work from it (so I stopped paying for it.)
I wish I could buy a self-control like yours! 🙂
Thanks for the compliment! But it’s not really self control. We were really poor growing up, to the point where after my dad took off, even with public assistance there wouldn’t have been enough if my grandmother and great grandmother hadn’t known where all the old Victory Gardens had been on the private lots that were abandoned when the freeways went through and the tracks and trestles were moved. I think that may have been partly how I got so interested in perfume, a lot of those abandoned gardens had flowerbeds that had naturalised right along with the vegetable gardens. We even managed to save my great great grandmother’s roses, one of the times my dad was back and my mother got him to move them for her.
Anyway, depressing digression over. *blushes* Sorry.
No way! No need to feel ashamed! Be proud of where you came from! People like you have many lessons to teach.
I just don’t get why people think that only happy moments are to be shared! It’s so selfish! Something like: “Call me when you feel better!”.
It’s strange, don’t you think?! (Un)fortunetely life isn’t eden. 🙂
I don’t know either. There’s a lot of not so subtle shaming that goes on. My mother was in the medical field when we were younger, so we were that family that not only showed you can do everything right (get a degree, get married, go to work every day and work hard) and still have everything go wrong, we were that family where the single mother on food stamps with four kids was driving out of her neighborhood to buy salmon and whole milk and whole grain breads and other “luxury” items rather than just living off boxes of starches, sugars and salts the like of what commodity foods then provided to the poor. Add to that being both the last holiday basket and the first girl dropped off by your girl scout troop (because heaven forbid you -ever- forgot you were “one of those families” and get above yourself) and there’s a whole world of psychological and emotional violence that you absorb as a child and are never quite able to shake off.
Add too that the fact that here in the US we don’t calculate our poverty level the same way the rest of the First World countries do, and so our bar is set artificially low as is out poverty rate and we -still- make it as difficult as possible to qualify for assistance and entirely too easy to “earn” out of it, and you have a system that very nearly makes it impossible for being poor to be anything less than socially damning. My mother worked two jobs and still had to babysit, because we became ineligible for food stamps and free and reduced breakfast and lunch at school. We all mowed lawns and raked leaves and baby sat and cleaned out garages until we were 14 and old enough to get our state work permits and have “real” jobs. And it still wasn’t enough to blot out the “shame” of being poor. We were always (very condescendingly) complimented on how well we did every day ordinary things, like having good posture, speaking properly and eating with utensils and napkins. America very falsely prides itself on having none of the same class problems as Europe, but as always, the way we treat those we see as lesser than we puts the lie to that particular self-pious attitude. It is finally, I think, coming out into the open a bit more, but the truly poor still all too often get completely excluded from the conversation of “what do we do about the truly poor?” In spite of the national myth, no one likes being on public assistance. The gatekeepers who decide if you get it (and who are often on it themselves) make the process as difficult and demeaning as possible. Politically on a local and national level, you hear yourself blamed for all the ills of the world. In your church, if you go to one, you are looked at as an object of pity at the same time you are told to turn over at least ten percent of the pittance you make to them or you’re a bad Christian in addition to being the bad person everyone already knows you are, because you are poor. It goes one and on and on, layers deep. School, work, church and everywhere else, there are no places where it’s “safe” to be poor.
Wow! I’m deeply touched. As a non- North- American, I would never imagine this situation. It’s cruel. The word “looser” really means too much out there. I find this word cruel, cold and again, selfish. It’s so easy to think: “Oh it doesn’t matter, he/she’s a looser.” In my profession I saw many miserable situations, but never saw this kind of makeup-misery. It’s like to deny a disease and not submit to treatments.
Despite all that we can notice you know quite well how to deal with it and learned too much. This learning you will carry with you all your life and you can be sure you are stronger than that ones that once can have judged you a looser. Your wins are much more valuable than theirs and have a much more sweet taste! Congrats on being this way!
I’m one of the lucky ones, though. I was a fairly dense kid and always had my face stuck in a book. Add to that, I got “adopted” by some of the few goths around at the time, and was exposed to quite a bit more art and literature and music than I would have been otherwise, as well as becoming acquainted with more than one view of the world. My siblings weren’t so lucky. All of them have children out of wedlock, one of them has been to prison repeatedly, and the third is a gun-hoarding alcoholic. None of us finished college, although I did spend twelve years switching majors before people stopped paying me to go be indecisive.
Glad to hear you had a good road to follow. Some people choose to deal with their problems in an inappropriate way of life. But we can’t judge them hard. Each people is singular and is transformed by situation in different forms. Some choose drugs, some alcohol, some have misconducts and some, like you, find itself and choose to have a quality life. We can only try to help those who took wrong directions with our major goodwill; and this is not few, be sure.
There are people I call vampires: those who only wants to suck what of good we have to offer. I preffer to deal with those who share the lull and is also there on difficult times. “No make up”. Again, congrats on being a brave battler and a wise person!
Very eloquently said, KateReed.
And sometimes its the ‘depressing digressions’ that put everything else in context! I really hope things ease up for you, and that you find some complimentary treats to sweeten the way in the meantime:)
Well, with the drought and the damage it did to the agricultural sector, food is going to be high for a while. I may go vegetarian again, as I’m noticing that a larger percentage of my grocery budget is going for a smaller and smaller percentage of meat and dairy. And since the Whole Foods chain finally brought itself to Des Moines and I can finally have milk to drink again (I haven’t had real milk since I moved back from Maryland) and something’s just got to go. Certainly my health insurance premium isn’t going to go down, whether the industry stops freaking out about the AHCA (Obamacare) or not.
I’m vegetarian at the moment, though I was vegetarian before and then relapsed, it seems to be working better this time. I think its a cost effective as well as a health effective decision.
Also, I think the only thing worse than the way people treat their fellow human beings (note you own comment as an example:( ) is the way we treat animals – factory animals in particular.
No argument there. I would say I miss our co-op, if the reason they were dissolved hadn’t been the way a big portion of thier farmers {not exclusively the Amish and Mennonite farmers either, as was popularly believed) were treating thier animals. Just can’t win sometimes, however hard you try. I have been omni, vegetarian and vegan both, and I prefer the omnivorous diet. I just feel better on it.
I’ve been very bad lately, I’ve bought FB of the 2012 Shalimar Ode a la Vanille and Amouage Epic Woman as well as the Frederic Malle Woman sample coffret. The FM coffret is really very nice, it’s not cheap but you get 5 ml sprays of each scent so it’s more like decants, and would make a nice christmas present.
As a result of all this extravagance I have a lot of new samples. SOTD is ELdO Afternoon of a Faun. I love the name and idea and the visuals but the scent is not for me, sadly. It’s well-made but with too much imortelle and also a bit too masculine for me. I recommend trying it though.
Eva, I’m jealous of your FM coffret! Someone mentioned it a few weeks ago here, and I haven’t forgotten that it exists, despite my best efforts!
Which scents are you finding the most interesting or memorable from your sampling so far?
So far I haven’t come across any new must-haves luckily! I tried FM Musc Ravageur yesterday and it’s really cosy and perfect for this depressing november weather. Also I got a sample of l’Ambre des Merveilles wich I think would make a very pleasant everyday scent (and not so expensive as much of the othr things I’ve been trying lately).
I’m jealous too!
Me three. The only reason I haven’t put the FM coffret on my Christmas list is that I’ve decided that I’d rather have a FB of Une Fleur de Cassie.
Hiya dear perfume friends!
This week was really busy and tough. Lots of university activities, tests and a huge pile of lab-work, but I made it through! I had great motivation – almost every day I had a perfume package in mail. One day I received samples from Neela Vermeire, the other day my fat decant of L’Heure Bleue came in mail. And there was also a surprise from Jo Loves Showroom – Jo Malone sent me a sample of her newest fragrance.
Also my perfume blogging went to a new level this weekend thanks to a guest post I’ve written for Olfactoria’s Travels.
Lots of positive energy this week. In the morning I felt like wearing L’Eau d’Hiver by Frederic Malle, so L’Eau d’Hiver it is!
Congratulations on your week, Lucas. It’s nice to get all your awaited and unexpected “toys” in one week! I need to be out and about this weekend as I had been cooped up the past 2 weeks.
It’s very exciting when good things come in parts, day by day. You also made some interesting purchases, didn’t you? I know you did! I hope your working weekend will be calm.
Oh, yes, my mini coffret trio of Ann Gerard perfumes arrived yesterday…along with my sample of Frapin Speakeasy which I can’t wait to try as well!
I’m waiting for your impressions on Ann Gerard trio! and I hope you’ll like Speakeasy since it was my review that made you go for a sample.
I am so jealous, I have not blind bought those Gerards … yet. Test them, test them now!
Lucas, your mailbox is much more interesting than mine lately.
My mailbox isn’t that happy all the time. Just a coincidence that all things came to me day after day. It won’t happen again anytime soon…
*Sigh* I’d like to participate in the swap, I’ve got a few bottles I’d like to get rid of, but I got tired of lying to the post office people… :// Silly Canadian mail restrictions.
I know what you mean. I’m in the U.S. and will only ship within the U.S. due to the postal regulations. If I need to pay more (within reason) just to legitimately send it outside these borders, I would not mind at all.
How I hated lying to a postie when I suddenly found out about no-perfume-to-the-States. Within Canada or to Europe seems to be fine, so I might or might not be part of swapmania again…
Today I’m wearing Givenchy’s L’Interdit (the Mythiques edition), as I suddenly felt like something soft, aldehydie and powdery. It suits the day, which is autumnal but not too cold and not too miserable. Maybe it’s old-fashioned, but it’s comforting and not shouty!
Love this kind of smell. It seemed you were describing another scent I have.
What’s that, Moore?
N5. A gem that brings me excellent memories.
Do you know, I had a spooky feeling you were going to say No 5 … Strangely enough, yesterday I ordered as an early Christmas present to myself the Sensual Elixir. I have no idea how this gel compares to the liquid, but I fancied a different format. And at this very moment I am burning some little candles that are fragranced with No 5 (smell alike), and I have to say that they are amazingly good, and are satisfying a little of my craving for the Chanel!.
The only version of N5 I know is the EDT.
I have an excellent rose candle either. I smell it all the time.
All my wish lists have been altered by mother nature. I got pregnant and it changed my nose. Leather, amber, tuberose, not to mention my favourite oak moss are no longer relevant, I cannot even bear them sometimes, which means 70% of my perfume wardrobe is no longer in use. What I am left with is something inoffensive like Frangipani and Tiare by OJ and sandal wood. I became passionate about sandal, which is really unusual for “normal” me, I wonder what will happen next…
The joy of a new baby sounds like a perfectly acceptable tradeoff for your sensitivity. Congratulations! It won’t be too long before your natural scent seems to be baby lotion and powder and you’ll be yearning for those leathers and tuberoses again. (For yourself, anyway. The smell of a clean baby is one of the greatest scents ever.)
Thank you! I absolutely agree, and also this change of how things smell now is kind of interesting, since I think I can get a more detailed picture of my perfumes now. My attitude to some notes has changed, but my sense of smell became so sharp that if I can enjoy it I enjoy it tenfold
Congratulations. OJ Tiare is my new love from OJ, with Woman now being a close second.
Thank you! I like Woman as well, and also amongst my favorites from OJ are Taif and Tolu. I think she is so incredibly talented, since it is rather rare for me to want to buy half of someone’s perfume line at once.
Congratulations! The scent of a baby is a wondrous thing–well worth the change in your scent preferences (which may well be transitory, anyway). My infant son had a delightful smell to me. I remember saying at the time that I was absolutely positive I could pick him out of a line-up of babies with my eyes closed, simply by sniffing. Indescribable, but very, very wonderful.
Thank you! No one has ever told me about the smell of a new baby, I guess people around me do not put any special attention to this dimention. But it sounds so great I really cannot wait to experience it!
When your biggest present arrive (your newborn) your nose will get normal day by day. Congrats! 🙂
Thank you. This thinking allowed me preserve my collection as it is, though I was tempted to sell a few items, since they seem so unlikely to be liked by me again some day
Argh, I’m so weak! I caved in and placed an order with OJ a couple of days ago to take advantage of the free Tolu parfum offer. Right now my justification is that – technically – I will be getting 3 bottles of perfume for under £45 each and that the travel spray sets that I ordered can be split and used in swaps to get some other goodies. Plus Christmas is coming.
Still feeling kind of guilty 🙁
Her creations are so worth it! Plus it sounds like a great deal
This is a good guilty! You shouldn’t mind about it! 😉
Agree w/ everyone: totally worth it, enjoy!
Thank you, everyone! I’m so glad there are places like this, where people don’t react with “What? MORE perfume? 😀
I’ll count them as Christmas presents from the cats and enjoy them!
I asked a little while ago for alternatives to TF Tobacco Vanille and got a lot of great suggestions. I couldn’t get back to the thread in time to thank everyone, but want those who responded to know I appreciate it. I have a lot of sampling to do!
This week I have a (most wonderful!) dilemma: My mom and I have just been given an offer for very cheap (under $500 in first class) flights to Europe. We feel like we have to take advantage of this opportunity, but neither of us speak a language other than English so we’re nervous. We have to go before the end of the year, so we will probably have a month to learn basic phrases. Obviously, I am hoping to do some fragrance shopping while we are there. Does anyone have any tips or tricks? Suggestions for hitting multiple cities over 7 to 10 days? Favorite places? My mom has always wanted to go to Florence, but we are open to anywhere. I have been to Europe once and visited London, Liverpool, and Dublin; Mom has never been. I wish we had more time to prepare, but we will probably never get an opportunity like this again.
How exciting! Rail is the way to go- fly into London Heathrow and take the Heathrow Express into Paddington Station and then the Tube anywhere in London. When you are ready to move on, take the Eaurostar from St. Pancras into Paris Gare du Nord and then the Metro. Easy to use and a great way , in addition to walking, to get around Paris. Then Gare du Nord to go to Berlin or Cologne…
Rail is easy and frequent in most European countries. Have a great time!
I would add Brussels to that itinerary and once in Brussels, to Amsterdam. I would also look at what special festivals are going on at that time to decide with country/city to visit.
Thank you both so much. You make hopping from city to city sound so easy. I am becoming more confident that we can make it to at least three places.
How nice for you and your mother! Florence is lovely, I visited the city for the first time this autumn. Don’t worry about language, English is the only foreign language I speak myself (my French has all but disappeared since I left school) and I’ve never had any trouble when travelling. I wish I could recommend a visit to my homecountry of Sweden but this is the worst time of year for a visit with very depressing weather 🙁
Thank you. The more people I talk to, the more I realize I will be able to briefly communicate and find my way around just fine. And who knows, I just may end up in Sweden. The weather can’t be any worse than winter in Chicago!
Did you try Eau de Bavx?
If you’re going to France, learn how to tell them you don’t speak French in French and things like “good morning”, etc. Make a visit to Gallery Lafayette. Some mainstream perfumes are cheapier in the freeshops. Make a previous search on places you wanna go or you’ll feel lost and get static. 🙂
I haven’t tried it yet. I’m going to be at a mall with a L’Occitane tomorrow though.
Thank you for the suggestions. It looks like I could spend an entire week at Galeries Lafayette.
Dear Lucy,
don’t be afraid about the foreign languages in Europe! A lot of people here in Germany speak English and if there are problems just ask the younger ones….
Hi Martha,
I’m hearing more and more than most people may know English, but will appreciate it if I make an effort to speak to them in their native language. Thanks for the tip about asking the younger people. It wouldn’t have occurred to me, but I am always in awe of how smart they are. If anyone can handle multiple languages, it’s 20 year olds.
If you get to Paris, Denyse of Grain de Musc did two wonderful blog posts about perfume shopping in Paris. I’ve linked them here for you. Have a wonderful time!
Left Bank: http://graindemusc.blogspot.com/2009/07/paris-perfume-pilgrimage-part-ii-left.html
Right Bank: http://graindemusc.blogspot.com/2009/07/paris-perfume-pilgrimage-part-i-right.html
I just read these and got so excited…you’d think I was seven years old and planning a trip to the North Pole! I think Paris has become a must see location.
Lucy, I love European cities and have visited several. I’ve enjoyed the ones where I don’t speak the language as much as the ones where I do. There is so much to see in any of these cities, and it’s so much fun just to walk around; my main recommendation would be not to try to fit too many into one trip. I would also recommend the DK Eye Witness guides, which have great maps, photos, walks and practical information that will help you prioritize what you want to see and find your way around.
Wow. I have never heard of DK Eyewitness, but it turns out my local library has over 300 of their guides. I’ve already reserved a few. Thank you.
The Persolaise website has great tips for perfume shopping in London, but if I had to do it over again, I would buy an Ormonde Jayne, discovery set, skip the half day I spent looking for the boutique. I am however very glad to have visited the top floor perfume boutique in the Spa at Harrods. (The bottom floor is the equivalent of Macys).
If you go to London, f go see the new Jares Bond film first. Even if you don’t like those movies. it does show a good tourist overview of the city, a lovely minute in which Bond gazes at a fabulous Turner painting. I almost cried when the camera moved back to fancy gun stuff. Give yourself at least a half day at the Tate Modern and a good few hours at the Tate.
I love Bond films. I’m usually more of a comedy person, but they find a great way to add humor and intelligence to an action film. I will go see the new one even if I don’t end up in London on this trip. I hope I can work a couple of nights in though. I went to Harrod’s five years ago, just before my perfume hobby/obsession started. The store was jam packed because it was a Saturday during the holidays so I never made it to the top floor. I could kick myself. I had no idea Ormonde Jayne existed back then either. I also would like to show my mom some of my favorites from the last trip, like the Crown Jewels at The Tower of London. Thanks for the tips; I will check out the website and add the Tate museum to my list.
The Brad Pitt No5 print ad is everywhere! I didn’t expect them to put it above the cosmetic counters, it’s actually disconcerting and doesn’t appeal to me in the least. A worn-out looking Pitt in black and white and “Inevitable” in all caps. Does this sell perfume? It seems, IDK, corporate or something. Where’s the luxury?
Would love to hear other reactions in case I’m missing the thrill here.
I saw it at Macys on Thursday and had the same reaction. (Which was also what I thought when I watched the commercial here on NST.) Brad Pitt has many good qualities – I’m not a fan, but I don’t dislike him either…but he does not say Chanel to me. When I think of Chanel I think of Pierce Brosnan in a tux as James Bond. Or George Clooney in Ocean’s 11. There seems to be a tuxedo theme here. Brad Pitt with his current look says horseback riding in the countryside (to me, anyway.) Sooo not Chanel. They are supposed to be sophisticated and glamourous. I don’t know what their Marketing department was thinking.
Clive Owen in a tux!!
Yes. Yes. Yes!
I agree. Having Brad Pitt to advertise Chanel N5 looks wrong… like guy’s from Chanel are saying to other fragrance houses:
“Look who/what we’ve got!” *vicious smile*
Audrey Tautou was nice… they had to stick to french women instead of American guys with hillbilly accents.
I found it a brilliant market movement! A man showing how lovely is a women’s perfume. And the bank account of Mr. Brad may have some more digits.
No SOTD yet…just came back from a big-box warehouse store shopping. This evening, we’re celebrating a friend’s birthday at a Chinese restaurant. I’m thinking of using the last few drops of my Diptyque Volutes EDT sample…but we’ll see.
Nice pick, hope it’s a fun dinner!
It was a fun dinner. The celebration continues next week at a steakhouse…now this would take some thinking as to what to wear because as per previous dinners at this place, the smell of cooking meat permeated hair and clothes 🙁
Julien here…SOTD is Carnal Flower. I’ve actually been wearing it all week. It’s a stunner and is quickly becoming my signature scent. First time I wore it to work (yes, I know…very brave), a small group of people in my general vicinity were wondering where the scent was coming from And then someone leaned into me and realized I was the guilty party. “What is THAT?” “You smell ridiculously good!” Really, I wear it for myself but it’s a nice little bonus that others enjoy it on me. 🙂
This is a good bonus, isn’t it? 😉
SOTD is L’Huere Bleu(EDP) which really feels like it should be evening.
Question:
Do any of you put lotion or body oil before putting on perfume? If so, what would be a good non paraben brand. So many of the nice oils and “green” lotions seem to come with their own scent, which are often lovely, but I would like a neutral.
Try Alba Botanica’s Very Emollient in Original Unscented. It’s been a favorite for years and can’t imagine getting through the winter without it. You can score a quart of it (yes, 32 ounces) for under $20 at Whole Foods Body or larger health food stores.
And it’s paraben free.
I agree about alba botanica. You can even blend in some oils or perfumes to make scented lotion.
SOTM is Séville à l’Aube. I really like it (I’m a sucker for orange blossoms) and it has great lasting power & sillage on me, but it’s a little too “fresh,” which may be the wrong word. (for reference, Serge’s Fleurs d’Oranger is my ultimate OB fragrance). The weather in central VA today is stunning, so it is a perfect scent for a warm, bright November day.
Oh wow, I thought I was the only one who wasn’t wholly in love with Seville. I felt like I was only smelling half of what everyone else was getting from it — and while that half was very pleasant, it didn’t blow me away. Maybe the lavender is what’s bugging you? I actually enjoyed that note in the composition, but elsewhere my nose reads it as linen closet.
I’ve been wearing Chanel n5 eau premiere last couple of days – since I was given a generous sample of 2 ml at my local Chanel counter. Couldn’t get enough of this stuff! I caught myself wondering every time I walked down the street “What a wonderful fragrance… Who in this crowd is wearing it? I have to have it!” – and then after some inspection I finally realized that it’s me and my eau premiere.
Somehow this fragrance reminds me of Infusion d’Iris (Prada). I liked Prada a lot but it started to give me some weird plastic note – so I stopped using it. With Chanel this doesn’t happen. Chanel is really beautiful and cozy (-2 C iand sunny in Moscow) – fits the weather and the mood perfectly! Finally I bought 150 ml today 🙂 The bottle looks fantastic on my dressing table. They also had this 200 g N5 soap in stock – but couldn’t bring myself to pay 100$ for a 200gr soap. Though it would have looked fantastic in my bathroom – that’s for sure)
Interesting comment about Prada Infusion d’Iris. Over at lucasai’s site (click on his name), we’re discussing year-round scents and Prada Infusion d’Iris got a lot of mention as suitable year-round but perhaps there is a low temperature at which it stops “working”.
I’ve noticed that Vol de Nuit doesn’t sound that good in colder temperature. It’s great on an autumn day (when it’s stil above zero) – but at -20 C it just doesn’t open! And I always thought that it was a cold weather fragrance.
I totally agree about the Vol de Nuit. I love the beautiful bloom of the heart in warmer weather. L’Heure Bleue though is a great one for frigid temps. You might also try some of the Sonoma Scent Studio scents for great cold weather scents. Laurie specializes in cuddly, amber bases that are very warming and comforting in extreme cold.
But then again… at arctic temperatures no fragrance would flourish… the air is literally frozen.
I find that Carnal Flower is absolutely stunning on very cold, sunny days. It’s not a typical winter fragrance but the scent of tropical flowers and crushed green stems mixing with crystalline winter air is very special. Granted, in UK it never quite gets to -20C but it might be worth trying nonetheless.
That’s unfair! Moscow’s altitude is only 4 degrees higher than London’s (55 vs 51) – and we get a couple of months of -20 and a couple of weeks of -35 🙂 Thanks for the Carnal Flower tip. I’ll try to find it before December. I think that amber fragrances work at great minuses. Lot’s of Lutens fragrances are great in January – like Ambre Sultan and Loukum smthing…
Colorado is at a lower latitude than either of you (40) but a much higher altitude. We don’t get -35, but we hit -28 on a couple of nights every winter, and -20 is absolutely normal. That said, between weeks of -20 we can go up to +20 for short periods. Summers are uniformly hot and dry, but September through June are completely unpredictable.
I have a question: what do you do with products that have a different from your perfume smell?
I mean soaps and body lotions, deodorants, face cream etc? Because to me it appears to be impossible to match them all!
I have shampoos, hair masks, body oils, face serums and creams – they all smell differently – and quite strong! And I can’t really replace them with unscented stuff – since there aren’t that many unscented products that will work for me in terms of their moisturizing efficiency.
So how do you live with that concotion of smells? What is one to do?
Seems like there’s always some kind of trade off, doesn’t it? The easiest trick I know to use with an underperforming lotion or cream is to add either a pinch of unscented shea butter or about a quarter-sized (adjust for your body size, I’m pretty big) pool of pure vitamin E oil to your lotion before you apply it to whichever limb you’re treating. If either of those are too difficult to find in your area, you can also try mixing 2 tablespoons of honey with 5 tablespoons of olive oil and adding that to the bottle itself (shake well).
I thought of using my high performing products at night – when I don’t use my perfume – and in the morning not to use anything but an unscented shower gel. Adding oils to lotions is a great idea!
Veronika–that dry winter weather can be a real nemesis! I didn’t become a perfumista until after I left Minnesota (whose weather is very similar to Russia’s, I believe), but I can’t imagine trying to find that balance of moisture and scent! On the positive side, moist skin doesn’t just feel better, it seems to retain scent better, too! Good luck!
I wonder if there is an NST commenter from Salt Lake City? I have only been there for business once and I stayed 2 days. I understand it is dryer than dry there and even worse so in winter.
Not Salt Lake, but northern Colorado, and it’s so dry in winter that my hands bleed if I don’t constantly use heavy-duty lotions. At that point I don’t care whether Nivea clashes with with my perfume or not.
Scent of the Day: testing Serge Lutens Fleurs d’Oranger. Not half as cumin-y as I had been led to believe! haha. 🙂
Good!
What are your favourite Dyptique and Jo Malone soaps? I’m moving to a new apartment in a month and I’ll be needing some new soaps to fill my new bathroom.
I picked up Jo Malone’s Pomegranate Noir soap on a whim with my last order and am very glad I did. It’s very true to the scent of the Cologne, if you’ve tried that. It works really well for both the upcoming colder weather and the holidays. A big bonus is that once it’s opened, one bar can scent a small room like a bathroom so it does double duty as an air freshener.
My second choice would be Red Roses, and then Lime, Basil, and Mandarin. I like LBM, but it has an earthiness that kind of counteracts the “clean” idea of soap.
Philosykos & Tam Dao, same as my favorite perfumes. Actually I think those are the only 2 Diptyque soaps I’ve tried.
It’s an exciting day here.. my brother is getting married today, and we’re getting ready for the wedding. The bride, bridesmaids, moms, and I all got our hair and makeup done this morning, so I’m much more fabulous than usual. I’ve never worn fake lashes before, and they feel weird.
I am thinking my SOTD will be Samsara. It’s just feeling right, and I almost never wear it because I always feel like I have to dress up to it, like one of those height requirement signs on roller coasters. “You must be |———————-THIS——————–| fabulous to wear this scent” And if I’m not fabulous enough today I probably will never be.
I was really wanting an orange blossom for today, but I used up my sample of Cuir Venenum, and as much as I wanted to, I don’t love Seville A L’Aube (after the opening it’s too sweet for me, and I want more incense). I had ordered a few decants from The Perfumed Court, one of which was Miller Harris Cuir D’Oranger. I had hoped I would have them by now, but TPC is so behind on their order processing that it just shipped this past Wednesday (I ordered them Oct. 20).
Anyway.. time to go deal with the ordeal of Spanx and get myself dressed.
Oh, fake lashes! I still don’t have the courage to try those. Aren’t you afraid that after you’ve glued them on you’ll pull out some of you natural lashes when taking the fake ones off? (I really don’t know the procedure))
For me my older brother’s wedding was a very sad day – (I’m a very jealous kind of sister). And I wasn’t wearing any perfume so that I wouldn’t ruin it with associations of that day.
Its the worst feeling bad during happy public occasions; I hope you are starting to feel better about it all now:)
Oh, Samsara rocks! It will fit perfectly! Enjoy the party!
I read TPC was out for some days, but they told no delay on shipments.
If the day is glamorous enough for flash lashes and spanx then a polite fragrance just won’t do. Spray on that Samsara and enjoy it!
Okay, that was exactly my reaction to Seville a l’Aube. I was really beginning to doubt my nose, based on everything else I’d read about that scent.
Happy Spanx-ing!
Thanks, everybody! It was a lovely day. The ceremony was officiated by a longtime friend of my sister-in-law, and it was beautiful and perfect for them. The reception went really well too.
And I didn’t do the lashes myself. I had professional help there. My sister-in-law hired a company that will send a team of makeup artists and hair stylists to you, so they came to her sister’s house to work on us. I don’t think it would’ve occurred to me to do lashes myself. I think I’d be scared to. And I wear glasses, so I had to be careful how I positioned my glasses so that the lashes wouldn’t brush against them every time I blinked.
I rocked my Samsara and smelled awesome. and the Spanx weren’t too bad.. I had just never used them before so I didn’t know what to expect. Felt a little weird at first, I felt kind of like a sausage, but I sort of got used to it.
@Veronika
I’m sorry your brother’s wedding was an unhappy occasion for you. In my case, I’m the elder sibling, and my brother and I are only a couple of years apart in age, so no jealousy here. My sister-in-law is great, and they’re crazy perfect for each other.
Hope the wedding goes off flawlessly, your Spanx don’t pinch, and you feel fabulous enough for any perfume out there! Enjoy the day —
Oopsie — meant to post this to Sweetgrass!
Thanks! The day went off perfectly. It was an outdoor wedding, and you couldn’t have asked for better weather.
SOTD was L’ambre des Merveilles, but I have just returned from biking and after my shower, I will end the day with Tabac Aurea. This is such a great evening fragrance for me, it is so comforting and when I slip on my night shirt, I smell the lingering scent from the night before. A deep inhalation brings on a great calm before sleep.
I also use perfumes to get the same feelings as you. My pillow is always smelly.
No SOTD yet (it’s early morning here) but wore Phylosykos yesterday. Recently back from an overseas trip which included a quick stop in Paris. Bought Chergui from SL, Fig Tea and L’eau a La Folie and my husband got Cedrat Intense from PdN (sales assistant in their store was particularly good), the aforementioned Phylosykos and something for my daughter in Fragonard. Also bought a cheap and cheerful in Yves Rocher- “Vanille Noir”. Had to stop there or I would have run out of room to carry everything! It was also the start of our 5 week trip through France and Spain and I didn’t want risk something breaking becausr I bought too much!
Oh, I visited Fragonard factory! They have lots of dupes of famous perfumes – like Light Blue and Angel – but cheeper – in pure perfume – and they sell it in 30 ml or even bigger spray canisters!
They also have great rose and jasmine scented soaps!
What a wonderful trip! I envy you. Great haul of perfume. How are you finding the Folie? I have been waiting for the decant services to pick it up but they don’t have it yet. Is it very sweet and overripe?
I have PdN L’eau a la Folie. It is a nice light citrus floral and tends to play peek-a-boo (in a good way) on me. There’s a 30mL available at a reasonable $45 and per the Online Fragrance Shopping post below, shipping is free at beautyhabit with code SHIPNICHE.
Note: I am not affliiated with beautyhabit
Thanks! But I’m in Australia and the free shipping does not apply. Sadly, none of the sellers of Nicolai have cheap shipping options (Luckyscent charges something like $35, which for a $45 order is a bit annoying.) However I have occasionally thought of trying Beauty Habit because they apparently have a system where they email you the shipping rate on your order and ask for approval. This may turn out cheaper than a flat $35 …
My SOTD so far is kitten flatulence. We adopted the little guy a couple of months ago, and he’s very sweet and loves being on my lap … but sometimes he gets a wee bit gassy. (Vet says it’s nothing to worry about, though.) I’m thinking that a post-shower upgrade to Cuir Venenum or Patchouli 24 is in order.
‘Kitty Flatulence’, great name for a fragrance!
Something for Smell Bent, perhaps!
Kittens are so cute that even when they have gas..it’s still cute!
Lol! We have two lil kitties that are around three months and I love when they snuggle up on my chest to sleep, but agree that the gas they pass when doing so is pretty brutal. Maybe I could spritz on some Muscs Koublai Khan and it would cover up the smell during cuddle time. 😉
Glad to hear your little guy is doing well. 🙂
About the gaseous kitties (hmm, that conjures up pictures of little kitty balloons wafting about) – consider a diet without grains. Cats have absolutely no need for grains, they are obligate carnivores and do very well on minimal carbohydrates.
I have two little ones (eek, my babies are now over 5 years old!! How’d that happen??) that have been on a no grain diet their whole lives and they are shiny, sparky and vibrant – plus my older girl who has IBS had her whole life change for the better with the elimination of grains. There are even no grain dry foods available.
Better to smell clean shiny furs than, well, emissions!
I’ve been considering switching my girls to a grain-free diet. What brand do you feed your cats?
Second this whole-heartedly! I lost my last cat to the bad cat food disaster back in ’07, and when I adopted two new kittens the next year, I was determined to make sure they had the best diet I could provide.
From my research, that would be raw meat/chicken (which I admit I balked at), so I compromised with Wellness canned chicken. In all of the years that I’ve had cats, I’ve never had any as healthy with coats as beautiful as these two. I attribute it to the improved diet.
Best of luck!
I’ve been looking at Wellness. Thanks for the feedback.
Thanks for the info, all. It certainly makes sense that kitties would thrive on a grain-free diet. I do give them boiled chicken and fresh fish from time to time, and I know that it wouldn’t be hard to get them to clean their plates!
Today I wore the last bits of two old samples from DSH, Lumiere on my left wrist and Bois Blond on the right. Heaven!
I do have a question for anyone who can help. My husband LOVES Donna Karan Cashmere Mist EdP on me. And I just really don’t.
For some reason the last of my question got cut off, here’s the rest…
I do have a question for anyone who can help. My husband LOVES DKNY Cashmere Mist on me. And, I really don’t like it, maybe not to a scrubber degree, but almost. Can you offer a suggestion of a similar scent that he might still like but that I would like much better?
Hi there. Have you tried any of the Cashmere Mist flankers? Cashmere Mist Liquid Nude tones down the powder a good deal and is more musky than the original. It does smell somewhat like the original, but it is different enough that perhaps it would work better for you. Also, the CM Luxe has a lovely dollop of tuberose that tames the powdery aspect some. Also, I personally didn’t care at all for the original edp which is unusual since I typically prefer it when I have a choice. There was something that seemed a bit sour in that version that I don’t find in the edt at all. Hope this helps and good luck! 🙂
Thank you! I will try those, very helpful. I have never tried any of the flankers.
penhalogins artemisia 🙂
Thank you! I’ve never tried any of the Penhaligons. I’ll start with that one.
I used to love Cashmere Mist, but as my fragrance palate evolved I lost my desire for it. However, I still adore the body products (which is how CM got its start.). The scent makes for a great deodorant, shampoo, shower cream, and lotion. I also have the conditioner, but I don’t find that to be as true to the scent as the shampoo. (It’s somewhere between the scent of Cashmere Mist edt and unscented.) I had the soap years ago, too. I remember it being lovely.
I hope one of these might work for you. Btw, Nordstrom sells the deodorant cheaper than other stores.
Thank you, Lucy! I think I should sniff out some of the other products you entioned, maybe a shampoo or deoderant would smell better to me. It was just so odd to me that he liked it so much, he was like a moth to a flame and yet I was completely unimpressed. Sad!
Hi and happy weekend everyone! Today I’m wearing ELDO’s Dangerous Complicity and it is beautiful but more sheer than I’d prefer. It goes on strong and intriguing but I can’t smell it much after a couple hours which is unfortunate as it would be perfect if it lasted a little longer. The combination of notes suggests more skin and powder and much less leather, but it definitely falls into the sexy “come hither.” category in my opinion. Another ELDO that I really like and would almost buy were it a bit stronger.
I was wondering if anyone in the UK would be willing to do me a considerable favor? I’m desperately trying to get my hands on a couple bottles of Guerlain Idylle Duet (the rose-patch one) and the only shop that has it is one in the UK. I’d be really grateful if I could work something out with an international fragrance friend and would be more than willing to add in a swap along with the purchase as well. Feel free to contact me here, on Makeup Alley or mds4pak at sbcglobal dot net, replacing the at and dot accordingly. 🙂 I’d owe you one and would truly love to own some of this beautiful perfume before it is all gone. Thank you!
Hi, I’m in UK and would be happy to try and help. Shall I drop you an email?
Oh thank you! That’d be wonderful! 🙂
Recently, I saw a13.5 oz bottle of Prada’s Infusion d’Iris EDP, along with a metal funnel and small bottle for decanting, offered for ~$75 on a discount home goods website. I was surprised by a.) the size of the bottle, b.) the price!, and c.) the discounter (rarely offers perfumes/cosmetics). Can anyone explain how the discount scent market works? Would you take a chance on buying something like this?
I’m curious either.
Offer from one of the online perfume shops in Poland: Prada Infusion d’Iris 400ml bottle with metal funnel and 30ml recharge flacon.
http://www.perfumy-perfumeria.pl/product-pol-15978-Prada-Infusion-D%C2%B4-Iris-W-Zestaw-perfum-Edp-400ml-30ml-flacon-lejek.html
Just to show you that we also have such curiosities here!
Thank you, Lucas. This is exactly the same offer as the one I saw earlier, and about the same price. I just didn’t realize that this was commonplace. I can’t imagine owning such a huge bottle, but maybe I could learn how to decant and offer Id’I samples to all my friends and neighbors…
I wouldn’t mind owning 400mls Infusion d’ Iris – but in South Africa – we don’t get such curiosities!
How many dollars is that Lucas? Here its about R1000 for a 100ml and maybe R850 at a discounter:(
Let’s see. It costs nearly 264zł so that would be… around 75$ so the price tag is the same as the one FearsMice met
Just got Field Notes From Paris…35 bux, slightly used. Darn good price!
Congrats! Nice score!
Fabulous deal, I’m jealous!
Robin, I know you like this one..I can send you a decant if you wish..you got my e-mail on the thingy I think. Just throwin it out there if you wanted some!
That’s very kind…I collected a few samples so I am covered for now, but many thanks!
Anyone try this year’s Guerlain Idylle flanker (Jasmin-Lilas)?
I was wanting a friend to bring me Cuir Ottoman from Europe but it seems that no one there stocks the 50ml. For some reason only American suppliers seem to stock the Parfum d’ Empire in 50ml, period. Whats up with that?
My local niche perfumery carries Cuir Ottoman (and other Parfum d’Empire) in both 50 and 100 ml bottles.
I have a friend going to Germany (First in Frag only seems to carry it in only 100 ml) and another to London (but both Les Senteurs and Liberty stock only the 100 mls). The only niche store in Joburg does not sell this brand anymore, and when they did they never had Cuir de Ottoman in 50ml. Lucasai, I think with Poland being part of Europe you DO have better access to niche – Lucky You!
And actually in situations like this I realize my perfume situation is not that bad. But I miss all Chanel Exclusives, Diors Privee and Hermessences
And ironically the private collection Chanel, Dior and Guerlain are available here – though not the Hermessences…
Still, I don’t own any of these as they are quite a price! What I miss most of all is the kind of perfume community that there seems to be in America and Europe. There don’t seem to be any crazy enthusiasts here. On a practical note that means no easy decant/splitting solutions, and so, even when they are available here, the very exclusive frags are simply out of my price range. Actually even if I had the $$$ I just think these private collections are so over-priced I would probably not invest in a whole bottle even if I had the cash!
Today Poland celebrates the Independence Day of our country.
SotD is What We Do In Paris Is Secret.
Happy Independence Day, Lucas!
Thank you! Just replied to your comment about BIG Infusion d’Iris bottle.
Sounds like it should be ‘What we do in Warsaw is Secret!” 🙂
Yup, that would be great with Warsaw (or Leszno, my hometown) in the name 😉
Happy Independence Day, Lucas. No SOTD yet but I may “twin” you and wear What We Do In Paris is Secret — it has not gotten much love lately in the rotation.
Thanks sweetie, you have a good day too! Chose something lovely to wear.
MOVING DAY!!!!
Tonight I will move into my new house! I was sitting in my house yesterday, and I had this overwhelming feeling of joy and liberation! There’s so much work to be done yet, but it’s my space to do it in. For the first time in my life, I can paint the walls whatever color I want, I can do, or not do, whatever yard work I want, I can take down doors, walls, shelves, and put up whatever replacements I want!
I was telling a friend that the more time I spend in my house, the happier I am with it, not because it’s perfect but because I can see all the possibilities. She very wisely pointed out that it’s like a big, new art project for me. Like painting my cars over the past summers, I have this huge canvas to work with! Very exciting and diverting.
Of course, that’s AFTER I manage to move everything down the stairs from my apartment and across town! HA! Don’t get ahead of yourself, Marjorie! 😀
That’s marvelous! It’s so good to have a placê we can call “ours”, where we can leave our signature; everything the way we want! Have a more than happy new phase! 🙂
Yay! Congrats on your move! I hope you enjoy your new house for years to come. The moving stuff part is never fun, but the redecorating and figuring out what you want your house to look like is the fun part.
And tell us the smell of your new house!
Congrats Marjorie! Enjoy your new home!
Congratulations, Marjorie. And may Eau de Paint dissipate quickly whenever you get the urge and actually color your canvas!
That’s wonderful. I love the idea of having an empty space to fill up the way you want. Will your perfumes have a place of honor in your new home?
After the superstorm and a lengthy cold spell, we are finally having some very nice weather. I’ve been wearing some of my older chypre perfumes, which really work in the dry fall air.
One of these is the Ma Collection version of Jean Patou Que Sais Je?, which Angela described as, “especially tricky and should be avoided by fragrance novices. Que Sais-Je is hideously beautiful, a peach syrup, honey, and hazelnut scent with a fetid chypre base…. Que Sais-Je is best kept to wear in the company of one or two people with exceptional taste.”
Oddly, it smells like narcissus to me, this time: basically, a darker, fall/winter version of PdN Temps d’Une Fete.
You absolutely make me want to smell this!! Would I be someone who could handle this? Would I have exceptional taste? Enquiring minds want to know…
I’ve been wearing Chanel Gardenia modern edt all day – it is such a blast of jasmine! Reminded me of summer evenings when my father’s jasmine bushes started to bloom.
This fragrance also reminds me of my favorite jasmine tea Phoenix Eye.
Shame it is fleeting. Lasts an hour on me. Or at least I can smell it only for an hour
I’ve often read that it’s very fleeting, Veronika.
I tried D&G Feminine for the first time a few days ago. On the other hand i had spritzed no.5 EDT. After a few hours they smelled almost exactly the same, sweet, floral and powdery – anyone else get that?
I get it but not as much as you. D&G has to be slightly applyed to have a good effect for me. When overapplied it smells cheap to my nose. And the aldehydes of N°5 make it more unique.
Hello all! I’m relatively new to this site in even a lurking capacity, but I can already feel an addiction coming on…thanks for all the valuable info here, Robin et al! 🙂
I hope it’s not too late to ask a question on this thread, which seems to be the catch-all for random inquiries. If I’ve messed up the protocol, please set me straight.
I’m the sort of person who prefers to have one relatively signature scent rather than the type that changes it up every day. For some time that scent has been Marc Jacobs Daisy, which somehow isn’t as ubiquitous in my city as it seems to be elsewhere. There are many elements of the scent that I like a lot, but now that I’m on the north side of 30, I feel a change is due. My ideal aroma would maintain much of the bright floral scent that characterizes Daisy, but would be more sophisticated overall and certainly have much better staying power. Can anyone out there offer some recommendations for alternatives? I’d really welcome any input.
Thanks, guys, for whatever help you can offer.
I should add that I absolutely can’t stand Lola, which ostensibly looked like the answer to my dilemma. 🙂 I can somewhat tolerate Dot, but I think it’s time to look outside the MJ family if sophistication is the name of my game. 🙂
Hi flowerstrewn, and welcome! If you don’t get many responses, try again on the next open thread, and try to post early Saturday morning — that way, your post is seen by the most possible. Next open thread will probably be 11/24.
Another option:
https://nstperfume.com/the-monday-mail/
We’re now starting the waiting list for January.
Hi flowerstrewn. Welcome! I asked for a fragrance doppelgänger a few weeks ago and someone pointed out a great feature at fragrantica, where their reviews include a list of similar scents. There are a couple of Daisy flankers listed, but a few new ones too: http://www.fragrantica.com/perfume/Marc-Jacobs/Daisy-1361.html
Off the top of my head I’m thinking you might want to try Jadore, but I will keep looking.
Thanks so much, Robin and Lucy. I’ll be sure to look into both your suggestions. Much appreciate the help. And Robin, you may well be hearing from me on the Monday mail – what a fun feature! 🙂